


Alex and Luke get a 3-D look at their twins

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [165]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 12:00:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14104920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	Alex and Luke get a 3-D look at their twins

[takes place in Stockholm, Sweden; backdated to mid-June 2015]

"Both of you, backs against the wall behind my head," Elin orders once Alex and the ultrasound technician have helped muscle her onto the exam table. "Just consider it practice for the birth."

"Please, you know we're not here to see _you_ ," Alex mutters, and gives his sister a mischievous grin. Stepping out of the tech's way he takes his place at Luke's side, and his smile widens. "Can you actually hear how loud my heart is pounding?" he whispers in his husband's ear. "Or is that just how it feels to me?"

Luke grins, pressing close, their shoulders tight together. "I can't hear it," he says. "Not over the sound of mine."

By the time the third trimester rolls around, a multiples pregnancy – particularly one seeded by IVF – has been scanned and re-scanned, many times. Alex gets that, and he'll never forget the magical moment when he and Luke first saw the fuzzy white outlines of their babies on a black screen. He'll never forget the way his heart leaped right into his throat, and knowing that he'd never breathe again without the bone-deep _awareness_ of those two tiny souls. Today will be a little different, though. He's seen sample pictures of 3-D ultrasounds – with images ranging from puppy-adorable to invading alien. But today he and Luke will finally see the faces of their own children.

He just hopes he'll be able to keep his shit together.

When the images first appear on the screen, Luke's not even sure what he's looking at. He tilts his head from one side to the other, not sure if what he's seeing is the babies or cords or... insides. "What is that?" he murmurs to Alex.

"No freakin' clue," Alex whispers in reply, his eyes glued to the images. "Are those... fingers?"

"Those are blood vessels," the technician answers, her English heavily accented but precise nonetheless. She glides the scanner over Elin's bulging abdomen. "But, here..." She smiles, and Elin's eyes shine. "Those are feet. One, two, three... and there's the fourth."

"Oh my god, look at them," Luke says, tugging on Alex's shirt. "They're so tiny."

"They're so perfect," Alex breathes, absolutely stunned.

"You're both welcome," Elin teases, already blinking back tears.

The technician's smile widens. She absolutely adores this part of her job. "And there are the heartbeats," she points out, one and two, sure enough pulsing brightly away when she flips a switch on her machine and changes the view to a traditional scan. She measures the blood flow for a few seconds, then switches back to the full 3-D picture. "And there... There you have Baby B, already sucking his thumb."

"Thank you," Luke tells Elin, stunned, his eyes glued to the baby's face, to the thumb very obviously stuck in its mouth, then asks the technician, "His? Does that mean it's a boy?"

She turns her head, her eyes twinkling at him. "Do you want to know for sure?"

"Yes," Alex answers before Luke even has a chance. Impatient as ever.

Luke nods his agreement, biting at his lower lip. They've already agreed on this.

The tech repositions the scanner, wanting to give the expectant parents – all three of them? – a perfectly clear view.

"There you have it," she murmurs, "Baby B is actually a girl. And Baby A..." she adjusts the view again, "is a boy."

Alex swipes the back of his hand over his eyes, shocked to find himself tearing up. But even more shocked by the abrupt reality of his life, which is so obviously not just his anymore.

"Oh," Elin whispers, tears openly slipping down her cheeks now. "I always wanted a daughter."

"Liar," Alex retorts, because if he can't manage snark right now then he might break down entirely. "You never wanted any kids at all."

"I know," she admits softly, smiling. "But now I have three, and they're all completely perfect."

Stunned, tears in his eyes, Luke's just staring at the screen. At _his_ son and daughter. "They are," he says finally, blowing out a breath. "They're absolutely perfect." The images in front of them making this more real, more concrete, than it's ever been.

Alex squeezes Luke's hand, hard. Like he can ground himself in this incredible moment, forever. "Are they identical?"

"No, you idiot," Elin answers, some of her usual snap in her voice. "They're brother and sister, how can they be identical?"

"They are fraternal," the tech amends, gently. "They will probably look very much alike."

"...Right." Alex is too mind-blown in this moment to even feel stupid for asking in the first place.

"My doctor said that if we can keep them in there for another six weeks or so, then she will be happy," Elin informs them, her gaze landing for an envious moment on the men's joined hands. Fucking hell, _she's_ doing all the work! When does she get some love? "That maybe they can both weigh two kilos by then."

"That's so small," Luke blurts out, glancing at Alex, worry suddenly replacing everything else. "Will they have to spend time in the hospital?"

"A little, the doctor said. Maybe. They will give me a shot for – _ytaktivt?_ " Elin says, looking to the tech for help. "For their breathing."

"Yes," The tech agrees, gliding the scanner to measure the babies' limbs. "Steroids. To develop their lungs in advance of an early birth."

"Just in case," Elin tells Luke.

"But he's tall," Alex breaks in. "You're tall, sort of. Why will the babies be so small?"

"Because they will come early like twins always do, and because there are two of them taking up space for one," Elin retorts. It sucks being only medium height in a family of absolute giants. "Do your maths, Alex."

"But are they gonna be sick?"

"They'll be _fine_ , stop freaking out!" She's beginning to freak out a bit, herself. As if she doesn't spend her days and nights worrying already; she doesn't need Alex's help.

Alex clamps his jaws shut and puts his arms around Luke, tugging his husband in against him.

"We know," Luke says, reaching out, touching Elin's shoulder. Smiling at Alex. "I just think we've both been counting on taking them right home from the hospital and that might not happen. But it's better if we're prepared."

"They'll stay in the same hospital, right? The same one where they're born?"

"Yes," the tech assures Alex. "They have the best _nyfödda intensivvårdsavdelning_ in all of Sweden. Umm, intensive care for babies," she adds for Luke's benefit.

Alex shuts his eyes for a moment, struggling to shove his worries into a dark corner of his mind. And there those fears can stay, because this moment, right now – he doesn't want to miss any of it. "Are they the right size now?" he asks, returning his focus to the stunning images on the screen. "Everything works right?"

"They look gorgeous," the tech tells him with a smile, and Elin nods fiercely.

Luke elbows Alex and nods towards Elin. _Enough._ He knows they're freaking her out. "Yes, they do," he says. "They look perfect."

"Perfect," Alex echoes in a whisper, his lips against Luke's ear. "You're amazing."

"I didn't do anything," Luke whispers back, leaning into Alex's embrace, his eyes still locked on the images in front of them. Their babies.  



End file.
